Tuesday, April 24, 2007

4th Circuit told to revisit abortion law ruling

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court, by a 5-4 vote, upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act passed by Congress in 2003.

The ruling already is causing a ripple in Virginia. The high court has ordered the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit a ruling from 2005 in which a three-judge panel found a Virginia statute outlawing the same procedure to be unconstitutional, according to the Washington Post.

The Supremes vacated the 4th Circuit’s decision and told the court to reconsider “in light of” its new ruling. The 8th Circuit, which struck a similar law in Missouri, also has been ordered to review its prior decision.